


Birthday Breakfast

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 11:03:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13588719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Josh treats his girlfriend to a birthday breakfast. Clara belongs to ClaraDiamondsong.





	Birthday Breakfast

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ClaraDiamondsong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaraDiamondsong/gifts).



Clara Diamondsong didn’t feel any different as she looked at herself in the mirror of the Moorland inn’s bathroom. Her blue eyes looked the same, lined with thin black eyeliner and the lashes just lightly brushed with mascara. She’d kept up her routine of dying her hair a super pale blonde colour, almost platinum, with frosty blue tips. She certainly hadn’t developed any wrinkles, but she was far too young for that yet, no matter how many jokes she’d inevitably get about her age today. One of her friends had jokingly sent her an old age card application form. Clara smiled at the thought of it, her blue eyes lighting up.

With her hair and makeup looking perfect (for now, she had no doubts that it would become messy after a long day of riding her horses around or doing odd jobs for the people of Jorvik), Clara left the bathroom, flicking off the light that she’d had on to better see herself, and grabbed her denim jacket from the back of the armchair that was the only furniture in the room other than the bed, bedside table, and small round table with two chairs. That and the TV and wardrobe, of course. It wasn’t the best-looking inn in Jorvik (Silverglade Equestrian Centre boasted that title), but it was the closest one to where Clara’s boyfriend lived.

The air was nice outside, warm with the presence of the sun though still chilly with the lingering coolness of night. Yet even this early in the day, the stableyard was abuzz with activity, new riders struggling with barely-awake horses and the trainers doing the same with their charges. It was still so quiet here without Justin, but Clara didn’t let that sadness tinge her special day.

Stargazer was where Clara had left them in their stall in Moorland’s titular stable, ears pricking up. They nickered in delight and gave a swish of their tail as Clara approached, smiling at the dapple grey Connemara. 

“Hey there, you pretty thing,” Clara cooed, rubbing her horse’s neck as she opened the stall door and led them out by their bridle. She really needed to buy some proper lead ropes, but Jorvik just didn’t sell them for some reason. Maybe she’d buy some with her birthday money.

“Hey, Clara!” a young, tomboyish voice called as a redheaded girl dashed into the stable, her green eyes shining with happiness and smudges of dirt already marring her freckled face. “I’ve already got your horse all ready to go.”

“I can see that,” said Clara, noting that the saddle pad, saddle, and even saddle bag were on in addition to the bridle. A little fox head popped out of the saddlebag and gave a yip, Scarlet’s bushy tail wagging from the other side of the saddlebag.

“Wow, I wish I could have a pet fox,” said Maya, her green eyes sparkling. “But Mr Moorland won’t let me.”

“Probably a good idea, you don’t want to give the younger riders the idea that foxes are domestic pets,” said Clara, swinging up into the saddle once Stargazer was out far enough. She reached back and gave Scarlet a pet, smiling as the mistfox licked her hand.

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Maya with a sigh. “But a girl can dream. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

“Not right now,” said Clara, giving the younger girl a smile. “Thanks for getting my horse ready for me.”

“No problem,” said Maya, grinning up at her. “I’ll go see if Mr Moorland or Jenna want me to do anything.” She dashed off, and Clara smiled as she watched her go.

Unlike most days, Clara didn’t ride very far once she left the stableyard. She passed the paddock that the Bobcats ‘owned’, then rode in to an area where pole bending poles were set up, along with a wagon. The man she wanted to see was already standing in the sun, smiling as he watched one of the newbie riders try their best on the track. His cowboy hat was tilted up, and he held a stopwatch in one hand. Clara waited until the rider had finished and left before speaking.

“Hi,” said Clara, grinning as she dismounted and looked up at her boyfriend. Stargazer snuffled around the ground, but didn’t roam far from the wagon. Clara was so advanced in her Soul Rider magic that her horses knew not to wander far from her. Scarlet was similarly tame, wriggling out of the saddlebag only to hop up into the wagon and begin sniffing around. She gave a happy little bark, and Clara laughed, knowing that her mistfox had just gotten into something that she shouldn’t have.

“No!” Josh cried, quickly jumping up into the wagon after the mistfox. He pulled out a cheeky-looking Scarlet who was licking frosting from around her mouth, and, though Josh looked annoyed and upset, Clara couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, there goes the surprise,” Josh muttered as he hopped down from the wagon, Scarlet still in his arms. The mistfox wriggled and dropped to the ground, then began sniffing around for normal fox food.

“It’s okay, that’s an occupational hazard when you have a pet,” said Clara with a shrug. Josh sighed.

“We might be able to salvage some,” said Josh. “C’mon.” He climbed up into the wagon again, and, after ensuring that Scarlet wasn’t going to wander too far, Clara climbed up after him. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the gloom, but, when Clara could see again, she had to laugh at the pawprint smack-bang in the middle of the pink frosting on the cake.

“Sorry, I know this must be devastating for you,” said Clara, still giggling at Josh’s crestfallen look.

“I just wanted to give you a nice surprise on your special day,” Josh muttered, putting his hat to the side and running his fingers through his short blonde hair. Clara had dragged him to a hairstylist the second she’d seen his bleached look, saying that it looked awful.

“It’s okay,” said Clara, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Like you said, we can salvage it. She only ate this side, and we can cut around the pawprint.” She gestured to a side that had several bites taken out of it, though it was mostly just the frosting missing. Cheeky, sweet-loving fox.

“I’ll buy you a new one later,” said Josh. “But I made us breakfast in a sense. Are you hungry?” As he spoke, he reached behind him and brought out a thermos of coffee and two mugs.

“Yes,” said Clara, smiling as she nodded. “I was going to buy myself something from the café in Fort Pinta or from Harold if I felt like walking or riding that far, but now I don’t have to. So thank you.” She gave him a grateful look, and Josh’s smile made her heart sing.

“I know that cake isn’t really a normal breakfast food,” said Josh, finding a knife and slicing the cake around the pawprint and eaten part. Only about a third of the cake was left, but they could easily share it between them.

“Nonsense, it’s my birthday,” said Clara with a scoff, tossing her hair back. “Cake is a perfectly acceptable food for every meal on your birthday.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Josh with a laugh. He placed the two smallish portions onto two plates, one on each plate, and gave one to Clara. She was touched that they weren’t paper plates.

“Aww, Josh,” Clara cooed. “You didn’t have to do all this for me.”

“I wanted to treat my girlfriend on her birthday,” said Josh with a shrug and a smile. Clara smiled back at him, then swiped some icing from the cake. She stuck her finger into her mouth, humming happily at the taste.

“That’s delicious,” said Clara, the taste of the sugary frosting still on her tongue.

“Heh, I’m glad you like it,” said Josh, ducking his head and blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“I love it,” said Clara, gratefully taking the mug of coffee that Josh handed to her after she’d set the cake aside for now. Cake always tasted better with coffee, after all, and Josh knew just how she liked her coffee.

“I’m glad,” said Josh, sipping at his coffee. Clara knew that this was probably not Josh’s first coffee of the day, he usually rose at dawn and had one coffee to start the day. But, like most workers in Jorvik, Josh could never have enough coffee.

The two of them chatted while they ate cake and drank coffee, Josh telling Clara about some of the riders that he’d seen that morning, including one who had blitzed through the track in the highest score of all time, and quite a few who had ridden their Icelandics at a tolt through the poles, disregarding top scores for the fun of it. Some had even run through without their horses, which made Clara smile at the thought. It was nice to just relax and have fun sometimes.

“I got a present for you,” said Josh once only crumbs were left of the cake. Clara smiled.

“Oh yeah? What is it?” asked Clara, fully expecting a kiss. While Josh did kiss her, he also put something metal in her hand while her eyes were closed. His mouth tasted like frosting and coffee, a wonderful combination.

“Happy birthday,” said Josh, grinning at her as Clara gaped at the item that she held in her hand. It was a belt buckle, made out of one of Josh’s many medals. The shiny silver depicted a man on horseback participating in a cutting competition.

“Wow,” Clara whispered, her eyes wide as she trailed her fingers over the embossed image. “It’s beautiful.” She looked up at him, grinning, tears of joy in her eyes. “Thank you! I know how much your medals mean to you.”

“Heh, yeah, and I know how much you love your jeans,” said Josh, a blush coating his cheeks. “So I figured you could use a belt buckle.”

“Yes, thank you, I love it,” said Clara, still grinning as she threw her arms around him in a hug. Josh grinned as he returned the hug.

“I hope you have a nice day,” said Josh. “The best day, for your birthday.”

“I’m sure I will now,” said Clara, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness. She felt like she could burst with it, or maybe that was just the sugar and coffee energising her.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” asked Josh.

“Well, I do now, don’t I?” said Clara with a laugh. “Are we going out for dinner?”

“Yes, at only the fanciest Jorvegian restaurant,” said Josh with a laugh of his own. 

When Clara climbed back into Stargazer’s saddle, she smiled as she called for Scarlet and rode away. She had a date with a very hot guy tonight at the restaurant on the roof of Silverglade Equestrian Centre’s manor.


End file.
